


All I Ever Wanted

by Eternally_Addicted



Category: Twilight Series - Stephenie Meyer
Genre: F/M, Family Drama, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-06-14
Updated: 2012-06-14
Packaged: 2017-11-07 17:57:00
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 11,774
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/433818
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Eternally_Addicted/pseuds/Eternally_Addicted
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When Bella became a police officer against Charlie's wishes, he forbid any of the male officers from dating her. Will he ever forgive her and accept her as a police officer and accept it when she meets the man of her dreams, Sargent Edward Cullen.</p>
            </blockquote>





	All I Ever Wanted

**Author's Note:**

> This was my contribution to the Fandom Fights Tsunami fundraiser. Thank you to everyone who donated whether it was through money or by your very talented writing efforts. Thank you My-Bella and Hope4more for the numerous times you read through this for me in order to make it pretty and thank you to Noelle_Seven for the awesome banner which you will find posted on my blog. Link for the blog is on my profile page.
> 
> Disclaimer:
> 
> All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters, plot, names, nicknames are all the property of the author. Unauthorized use of such material is plagiarism. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. And Of course just in case that doesn't cover it, Stephenie Meyer owns anything and everything relating to Twilight. No copyright infringement is intended.

 

 

 

 

 

 

**~*All I Ever Wanted*~**

 

"To Edward and Bella, happy anniversary and may this fifth year you celebrate as husband and wife lead you to many, many more!" cheered our friends Emmett and Rose as they raised their glasses of champagne and toasted Edward and I.

It still amazed me to think about how much things had changed in the last five years. There were times when the road we took to get to this day was hard, but it was well worth it.

"So tell me," Emmett said before he took a bite of the huge steak on his plate. "Are the rumors about Captain Swan true? Did he really forbid any of the guys in the precinct from dating you, Bella?"

"Oh he did more than forbid. He outright threatened to shoot anyone who even entertained the thought," Edward said with a chuckle.

"Yeah, like Edward said, he did. He had every guy in the precinct terrified to even look in my direction," I replied with a snort as I again thought about how amazing the changes that had happened since then were.

"Then how in the hell did you two manage to get married without Edward here having his family jewels shot off?" Emmett asked next. "Because from what I've seen of the captain, he doesn't take kindly to not having his orders followed."

"You want to tell them or should I?" my husband asked me.

"You can."

"Are you sure? I'll do it, but if you want to, you can do it too."

"Edward, just tell them," I said while rolling my eyes at him. However our friends seemed to be quite entertained with our antics as they were both smiling widely and shaking their heads at us.

Emmett and Rose had only been in Seattle for a little more than six months. Edward and Emmett had hit if off instantly and once Rose and I had been introduced to each other by our husbands, we were friends just as fast.

They understood the hard roads traveled as much as Edward and I did. Although theirs was much worse than anything we'd ever had to endure. The two of them had packed up and moved their family of five from St. Louis after they had lost everything they owned in a flood of biblical proportions. Emmett had family here in the Seattle area so it just made sense that this was where they would choose to move to. And even though they had once joked about there being no taming a river as mighty as the Mississippi, you could still see in their eyes how much what they'd been through affected them.

Edward and I had seen pictures on the news of the river lapping the top step of the well-known Arch that sat on its banks, but even that image did nothing to articulate the horrific ones that our friends had shown us in pictures they'd taken before their move.

"As you know I'm an instructor at the academy. Well, I was in California when Bella first started her training. Her class was already a couple of weeks into it when I transferred here. The instructor they had still worked the streets too and he was injured on the job. They needed a replacement and I was in the market for a transfer so here I am."

"Yeah he was instant eye candy for all the female officers," I added.

"Was not."

"Oh yes you were and you knew it too."

"Obviously, you were the one that caught his attention though," Rose said with a giggle.

"She did," Edward said while picking up my hand and sweetly kissing the back of it.

"Despite the many rumors flowing through the training campus about my father having very openly warned every unmarried and married man on the force that I was untouchable, sparks had flown between us from the moment he stood behind me and held my arm in the proper position for firing my weapon. He told me I was small and I might feel the kickback from my weapon a bit more, but it didn't mean I couldn't be an excellent marksman."

"I was right too. She had the second highest accuracy percentage in her class," Edward informed them with a proud smile on his face. But the gleam in his eyes told me he was remembering how our bodies had reacted to each other that first time he'd helped me. I shivered slightly and felt goose bumps cover my skin as I remembered the chills that had shot down my spine that day from his touch.

"If you were second, who was first?" Emmett wanted to know.

"Mike Newton," I said.

"No fucking way," Emmett said a little too loudly, causing Rose to smack him on the arm. "He's such a douche," Emmett then whispered.

"Yep. Was back then too. I still can't figure out how he got into the academy," I said, causing us all to laugh.

As Edward began telling our story to our friends, I could see it playing out in my mind like someone had started playing a movie reel…

_**Five Years Ago** _

We all stood in crisp military formation with our backs ramrod straight and our white gloved hands clasped firmly to our sides. I hated the fact that I was only a mere five foot four inches tall, which forced me to be placed in the front row. It made me feel like everyone's eyes were on me, which to a degree I guess they were. I was after all the captain's daughter.

However being in the front row did have one advantage. I could watch _him_. Edward. I had never seen Edward in his dress uniform before today. He stood directly across from me in all of his six foot plus glory, so completely unaware of what seeing him in his dress uniform did to me. Then again maybe he did know, because I could see him fighting a smile by the way the corners of his lips were threatening to turn upwards. I could now see why my mother had always been so fond of seeing my father in his dress blues on special occasions.

Everything about the uniform made Edward completely mouthwatering. Everything that is except for his hat; it hid his gorgeous hair. His always messy copper tinged mop, that I often found my fingers toying with whenever we were alone together. The rest of the uniform though, from the flawlessly polished tips of his black leather dress shoes, to the perfectly pressed crease of his navy blue trousers that traveled along his lean muscular legs, past the shiny brass buttons of his dress jacket. My gaze wandered across his body. There were a few department patches, his brass nametag along with his Sergeant stripes on his sleeves. From there my eyes traveled to his badge which was on the left side of his chest, then the starched white collar of his shirt and the neatly knotted tie that fit snugly around the sun kissed skin of his neck. Yes I knew those details about him. I had seen his golden tanned skin and his perfectly sculpted legs many times throughout my training. Tonight I hoped I would see all of him.

I tried to focus on the speech that was being given to all of my graduating class, but I had heard so many of them throughout my life that they all sounded the same to me. Being the Captain's daughter I had been required to attend many of these ceremonies long before I had given any thought to enrolling in the academy myself. No matter how hard I tried to not let my thoughts wander, Edward was all I could think about.

He had been transferred to our precinct just days into our twenty-two week training program. We had several different instructors, each of them higher ranking members of the academy that took part in our training. Each of them covering a specific area that they were proficient in. When Lieutenant Black had been shot in the line of duty and thus left unable to fulfill his responsibilities for an undetermined amount of time, they transferred Sergeant Edward Cullen to take over.

Despite the many rumors flowing through the campus about my father having very openly warned every unmarried and married man on the force that I was untouchable, sparks had flown between us from the moment he stood behind me and held my arm in the proper position for firing my weapon. I remembered the chills that shot down my spine when he whispered in my ear that just because I was small and I might feel the kickback from my weapon a bit more, it didn't mean that I couldn't be an excellent marksmen. He was right; I had the second highest accuracy percentage amongst my class. Only the douche, Mike Newton, had a more accurate shooting percentage than I did. Why he had even been allowed in the academy was beyond me.

While sitting there during the ceremony, I laughed internally over how we had at first tried to deny the chemistry between us. Edward and I had gone through the whole gamut of games two people play when they have an obvious attraction to one another and are trying to deny it. Stolen glances when we thought the other wasn't looking, the accidental brushes up against one another, and I have to admit that I even struggled on the shooting range on purpose so he'd give me extra attention. Was it childish? Yes. But with the feelings I was now having for him, I couldn't regret one minute of it. He made me feel alive. Like I had found something I had been searching my whole life for and although neither one of us had said so, I knew that I had fallen in love with him over the past four months and was fairly confident he felt the same about me

I was reminded of where I was when the guy next to me nudged my shoulder, alerting me to the fact that my father was about to take the stage. My father looked distinguished in his dress blues, even I could recognize how handsome he was, especially now that I was having the same reaction to Edward that my mother had always had for my father. As Charlie cleared his throat and began to talk, he first gave us the command to move forward and sit in the bright white chairs lined up meticulously behind us. We turned sharply to the left and marched in perfect single file order, with our arms moving in synchronization. Once we all stood in place at our assigned seats he gave us the order to sit.

I briefly stole a glance in Edward's direction and saw he was watching me as well. He quickly winked and then motioned with his eyes for me to pay attention to my father.

My father's speech to all of us graduates stressed that all officers, even those outside their own community, were part of an extended family. We are all bound by pride, honor and the duty that we are out to fulfill. How as police officers we will form the first line of defense and that we should never lose sight of why we have taken our oath to serve and to protect.

After a few more speeches we went through the process of our actual swearing in. Once we had all proudly repeated the oath we were then called individually, similarly to that of any other kind of graduation, to cross the stage and receive our certificates of completion. When my name was called I shook the hands of all our instructors without giving it a second thought. However, once I came to Edward, I wanted nothing more than to throw my arms around him and celebrate this moment that we both worked so hard for. I knew though that even if our relationship was public it would be strictly prohibited for me to do so at this time. As he shook my hand and congratulated me as he had done with the others ahead of me, I could see the pride he felt for me in this moment, but more than that I saw the love he had yet to voice and the passion he felt for me burning in his eyes. His gaze bore right though me into the deepest depths of my soul.

I took a deep breath to clear my head as I lastly came to stand in front of my father. He shook my hand rather robotic like, while he thrust my certificate into my other hand and gave me a look that told me exactly how much he hated this moment. I wished that he could show me in some small way that he was even remotely proud of me. But the truth of the matter was that he was anything but that. He had been furious with me when I enrolled. We argued heavily that day and it had ended with me telling him that I could stay here in Seattle, or if he pushed and tried to have me denied entrance into the academy I would leave and go somewhere else where he would have no influence. I think he only relented because of my mother's pleas to do so. She couldn't stand for the two people she loved the most in this world to be so angry with each other. I hated how torn it made her feel, but I was an adult now and I needed to live my life as I saw fit.

As I sat back down in my seat, I thought about how my father's dream had always been for me to go to college and make something of myself. I had done the college thing. I went thinking I could go to college, finish my pre-law studies, and then go on to law school to become a lawyer. But two years in, I realized that I wanted a more hands on approach and thus switched my course study to law enforcement. This was part of why my father had been so tremendously angry when I went to enroll in the academy. He thought that he could deter me for another two years by telling me that I needed at least two years of law enforcement education before I could be considered for acceptance. I had never told either of my parents when I switched my major. I had been one step ahead of him in the game and had already done my homework and had those requirements under my belt along with a damn near perfect 4.0 grade point average. He didn't like to be outsmarted at his own game. "Like father like daughter" is what my mom would say. Edward had even said something similar when I had told him after we'd started dating. I think his words had been something like, "take after your dad much?"

I remembered the day when Edward and I had finally given in to our feelings and decided to give dating a try. There were two rules we agreed we had to stick to until my graduation was complete; Remain discrete and No Sex. As of now, we felt no one could know we were together. Even though I didn't feel my father should have a say in who I dated, Edward and I still respected him. Edward wanted to give us some time to build on our relationship before we came under the scrutiny of our peers. There was no rule stating that two officers in the same precinct or on the force couldn't date, it was something he had taken upon himself to impose. We would have to maintain a professional demeanor while in uniform and on the job, but what we did in our personal lives was our business unless it interfered with our work.

Edward had asked me that day we decided to go forward and become a couple, why it was so important to me that our relationship remain a secret until I graduated if there was no policy that said we couldn't. He had already given me his reasons and wanted to know mine as well. My response was to him had been, "I want to make sure that our peers know that I got through the training camp on my own. It's bad enough that I'm already known as the captain's daughter. I don't need for them to assume that I gave fringe benefits to one of my instructors to get me though. Whether or not it's true, the perception would still be there and I don't want that hanging over our heads." Once I explained he understood.

The 'no sex' embargo we put on ourselves was the hardest one of all. We had gotten carried away several times, and had questioned our sanity in putting that restriction on ourselves. But we had both been afraid that once we took that final step in our relationship that it would be near impossible to hide it any longer. It was already difficult without adding sex to the mix and it would only undermine our first rule to keep it secret so that the perception that I had slept with Edward to advance myself or that he had slept with the Captain's daughter to advance his career didn't come into play. We knew that sooner or later there would be some whispers and rumors, but if we waited until I had graduated and he was no longer my instructor to slowly reveal we were dating then it would go a long way to squash most of them before they even got started.

Once all the formal activities of the ceremony were over we were all required to at least briefly attend the dinner and party afterwards. I was antsy and anxious for it to be over. The sooner I left the party the sooner I would be in Edward's arms and we could finally stop pretending that we barely knew the other existed.

It was custom that all new graduates, or rookies as we were called, were given a week off between graduation and our first assignments on the force. Edward had managed to pull some strings and get the next four days off. We were going to go away together, somewhere where we could just be us. No instructors, no Mike Newton, no skanky Tanya—who worked in the evidence room, hitting on Edward constantly and—no prying eyes of my father.

Once we all arrived at the banquet hall where the celebration dinner was being held, the night seemed to progress at a snail's pace. When the announcement came that dinner was ready, we all got in line and made our way through the long buffet line. After everyone was seated, my father took his place behind the podium at the front of the hall. He tapped the microphone a few times to ensure it was working. He said a few welcoming words and then asked us all to bow our heads for the reading of the Police Officers Prayer.

 

_Lord I ask for courage_

Courage to face and  
Conquer my own fears...

Courage to take me  
Where others will not go...

I ask for strength

Strength of body to protect others  
And strength of spirit to lead others...

I ask for dedication

Dedication to my job, to do it well  
Dedication to my community  
To keep it safe...

Give me Lord, concern  
For others who trust me  
And compassion for those who need me...

And please Lord

Through it all  
Be at my side

 

Just before the last words of the prayer were spoken I looked up and saw my father's gaze pointed directly at me. I wondered if he had been watching me the entire time he recited the prayer. For the first time in the last few years, I saw a hint of emotion on his face and quite possibly a flicker of fear in his eyes. Was this why he had never wanted me to join the academy? Was he worried about my safety? He had never voiced any concerns during the many discussions or arguments we had on the subject. He'd simply told me it was not an option, and that I was forbidden to do it.

The second Charlie saw me watching him, all traces of any emotion were instantly erased and his facial expression once again became cold and hard like granite. It hurt to see him shut himself down that way towards me—His own daughter.

I would never understand how he could so easily dismiss me like I wasn't even his daughter anymore, like I was some stranger that meant nothing to him. Trying to understand, I thought back to the day that had changed everything for us.

_I was in the kitchen having a class of tea with my mother. She knew how nervous I was as we waited for my father to get home. I had just gotten my acceptance letter in the mail from the academy. I knew that my father has also learned of my acceptance since the list of new recruits had been made public that day. He had warned me that he didn't want to see my name on the list. I had hoped that I would have some time between my letter arriving and the posting of the list to talk to him. My mother seemed to think that if I talked to him and gave him time to come to terms with the fact that this was what I chose to do with my future before it was known by everyone in the precinct, that it wouldn't be so bad. That he would eventually come around. However, that talk was not to be and as I heard the crunch of the cruiser tires on the gravel driveway I feared how the conversation was going to go._

_My mother noticing my unease reached over and rubbed the top of my hand and gently squeezed it in support. Just as the idea to scramble out the back door and save this discussion for another time made its way to my brain, the front door slammed shut, rattling the glass panes of every window on the first floor._

_I sat there as he removed his jacket and utility belt and hung them on the hook across from the door at the bottom the stairs leading to the second floor. I felt the hairs on the back of my neck stand on end as his footsteps got closer until they stopped directly behind me. He abruptly asked my mother to leave us alone and made his way over to the fridge and pulled out a can of his favorite beer._

_As he turned around and glared at me, I started to speak first, "Dad, there is something I think we need to talk about. I hope that you will try to listen to my feelings and what I want for my future."_

_He stood there not saying a word for what seemed a lot longer than the actual time it had been. I watched as he appeared to be contemplating what he wanted to say. I could see the muscles of his jaw flinch and suddenly relax, giving me hope that maybe this wouldn't be the disaster that I feared. But as he began to speak I realized that I had never been so wrong about anything in my entire life._

_His voice was cold and callous, causing me to squirm in my chair, feeling like I was some criminal being interrogated. A criminal who was about to be read her rights and have her fate laid out before her. "No, Isabella there is nothing to talk about. You are going to march yourself right down to the admissions office at the academy and tell them that you have changed your mind and that you are withdrawing." I would never forget his words. They hurt more than any scolding or punishment I had ever gotten as a child._

_Suddenly having a wave of courage wash over me I stood and asked, "And if I don't?"_

_Without hesitation he replied, "There is no other option. You will do as I tell you or you are no longer welcome in this house."_

" _What do you mean I will—" I was cut off by my mother walking back into the room and tugging on my father's arm and telling him he couldn't do that. That he couldn't give me that_ _ultimatum. He never even looked at her or acknowledged her plea. He simply continued to glower at me. It dawned on me that this was what he was counting on. He thought that he could use my mother's emotions to get me to comply with what he wanted. He was wrong. I wouldn't let him do this to either one of us._

_I took note of the pain and distress he was now causing my mother because of his demand and I knew I had to stop it now. If I didn't stand up to him now and prove to him that I was an adult capable of making her own choices and able take care of herself then it would always be this way._

_I knew what I had to do and I did it. I moved a few steps closer to him. I looked at my mom and told her I loved her and how sorry I was that it had come to this. Next I looked him straight in the eye and I said, "Dad, I will always love you but I can't respect you. You're hurting Mom on purpose to force me to live the way you think I should. I've always done what was expected, always been the daughter you wanted me to be. I'm sorry you don't like the woman I want to be but I can't help that. If you really want to kick me out for becoming an officer instead of helping me to be the best one possible, then that's your choice. Just like going to the academy is mine."_

_I moved past them both and walked up the stairs to my room and packed what I needed to get me buy for the next few days. As I came back down the steps my mom had been about to come up them. I hugged her and whispered to her again that I loved her and I would talk to her soon._

_Just as my hand was about to grasp the door knob, my father's last words slammed into me, "You walk out that door now and that's it, there is no coming back."_

_It was one of the hardest things I had ever done, but without a word I opened the door and left._

I was jarred from my thoughts buy a hand being placed on my shoulder. I quickly swiped away the tears that trailed down my checks and saw that it was Mike Newton who was standing next to me.

"Hey, Bella, you want to dance? What do ya say, wanna give it a whirl?"

Not wanting to have anything to do with him, I made the excuse that I was about to head to the restroom and told him maybe later. On my way across the room to where the restrooms were located, I caught a glimpse of Edward. I could see that he knew I was upset when he mouthed the words to ask me if I was ok. I nodded and plastered a smile on my face hoping that he bought it.

On my way out of the restroom, I found my mom waiting for me. We found a place to sit and we talked about my graduating and how proud she was of me. She asked me how things were going and if I was excited to be starting this next phase of my life. I assured her I was and just in case she was wondering I made sure she knew that I was happy and had no regrets. We had only spoken a hand full of times since I had gone to retrieve the rest of my things from her and my father's home. It wasn't that I was trying to avoid her, I just didn't want her to be stuck in the middle, feeling as though she had to choose between her daughter and her husband.

After making sure I was happy with my career choice, my mom asked about my love life. I gave myself away when I blushed but when she asked about the man in my life I had to politely refuse her. I told her I wasn't ready to share who it was yet, but that I was being treated very well. I then promised her that as soon as I was ready she would be the first to know. She seemed to accept that and after a quick hug she was off to find my father.

The rest of the evening went off without a hitch. The food was great and I spent the evening talking and dancing with a few of the friends I had made during my training. I mingled and spoke with several of my superiors, and prayed that none of them would bring up my father or ask if he was proud to have me on the force. I had even managed to spend a few minutes talking to Edward in what appeared to everyone around us a purely platonic conversation between an instructor and his student. But even as we spent the remainder of the evening trying to maintain some distance between us, I could feel Edward's eyes constantly watching me and feel his body calling to mine like two magnetic forces pulling one to the other.

When I noticed a fair amount of my co-graduates starting to make their exit from the party, I was confident that now I too could leave without being ridiculed for it. I searched the room until I found Edward's dazzling green orbs still drinking me in from the bar stool he was currently perched on. I looked down at my watch and back up at him. He nodded in acknowledgement that he understood I was ready to leave and I then turned and made my way towards the door. On the way I stopped to say goodbye to my mother, purposely breezing past my father and the men he was talking with. My mother hugged me tightly and whispered to me saying once again how proud she was of me and saying that I just needed to give my father some time to adjust and come to terms with my career choice. I wished that I could be as sure as she was.

As I unlocked my car door, I quickly glanced across the parking lot. I saw Edward emerge from the building and begin the short walk to his motorcycle. Unable to tear my eyes away, I watched as he slipped his helmet on and straddled the piece of machinery, while listening to it roar to life underneath him. Finally focusing I climbed into my car and drove to my house.

I parked in my garage and left the door up for Edward to pull his bike in. This house was something else my father resented me for. When he had forced me to move out of my childhood home for joining the academy, I had dipped into the large inheritance my grandma Marie had left me and bought myself this small bungalow on the outskirts of Seattle. I wondered if we could ever close the gap that now was pulling us further and further apart. Would he ever understand my choices?

I went into the kitchen to make sure my new puppy, Sam, had plenty of food and fresh water. He must have heard me come into the house as he was immediately rubbing up against my leg. I watched him eat and then took him out to do his thing. Once he was done and I had cleaned up after him, I carried the little fur ball inside and tucked him away in his crate. He had developed a habit of getting in my bed at night and while I was usually alone and it wasn't a big deal, tonight I had the distinct feeling that not only would I not be alone, but I would be very preoccupied.

I left the hall light by the garage entrance on and the small light over the kitchen sink so that Edward could find his way through the house. I had already given him a key so he would be able to let himself in.

As I walked into my bedroom, I quickly went into the master bathroom and washed off the small amount of makeup I had on. Then I took my hair out of the pony tail it had been in all day and brushed it out.

Removing my own uniform I draped it over the chair by the window and then I hastily dug through the bottom of my closet to find the signature pink bag from Victoria's Secret that I had hidden there last week. I knew he had to go by his house first to get his overnight bag, so I was anticipating he'd be here soon and wanted to be ready.

Hearing the rumble of his bike come down the street, I quickly donned the black silk and lace nightie and lit a few candles before turning off all the lights. The first thing that came to my mind was how long it had seemed that we had waited for this moment. They say good things come to those who wait and I was ready to find out.

I heard the garage door shut and his key in the lock on the entrance door. Soon the sounds of his footsteps were nearing my bedroom.

Trying to wait patiently, I crawled up to the middle of my bed and sat there.

When he reached the doorway, he stopped and I could have sworn I heard a groan escape his lips when he saw me sitting there in the center of my bed.

As he slowly walked towards me I could see the candlelight reflect in his now darkened eyes. He had a feral look about him and I almost felt like he was a wild animal about to pounce on his prey.

He reached to unbutton his jacket and I scooted forward and murmured to him, "Let me help you with that."

Resting on my knees near the edge of the bed, I slid my hands up his chest until I came to the first button. I undid them one by one and then slid the garment from his shoulders. I started to hop off the bed and pick it up from the floor, but he grabbed my wrist and told me to leave it.

Now standing in front of him I tugged on his tie to release the knot and left it hanging down his chest from his shirt collar. Next I began to work on the buttons of his dress shirt, but as I got impatient I grabbed the ends and jerked it apart sending, the buttons flying to various unknown places in the room.

I reached for his belt buckle and was abruptly stopped by a pair of arms snaking tightly around my waist. "You tore my shirt," he said huskily as he grazed the bare skin on my shoulder with his teeth.

"I'll buy you a new one," I replied breathily.

"What if I don't want a new one?" he teased.

"Too late now, I couldn't help myself. You have no idea what seeing you in this uniform has done to me all day."

I could feel his hot breath on my neck as he buried his face into my hair and whispered to me, "If it's anything like what seeing you in yours has done to me all day then I guess I can understand. Plus I like this much better," he said as he toyed with the lace strap resting on my shoulder.

Leaning my head against his chest, I closed my eyes and listened to the sound of his heart beating rapidly. He held me tighter and said, "When I first got here I thought you had gone to bed without me."

"Mmm, never again if I can help it." I could feel his lips form a smile against the skin of my neck.

He held on to me as he nudged me backwards until we reached the wall directly next to my bathroom door.

I looked up at him and he was wearing the sexy lopsided grin that always made me instantly ache for him.

I ran my hands back up his chest and twined my fingers in the hair at the nape of his neck.

Leaning down to kiss me, just before his lips touched mine he whispered huskily, "I love you, Bella."

My head shot up and I looked in his eyes searching them for reassurance and I was overwhelmed by the amount love and adoration I saw reflected in his emerald green eyes. They mirrored exactly how I felt for him.

He smiled and whispered as his lips were just barely touching mine. "I really do. I know we haven't been together that long, but I love you and I want to shout it to the world."

"I love you too. I've known it for a while now and I was afraid that I'd scare you off if I said it," I confided.

"I'm not going anywhere, Baby; I'm here as long as you'll have me."

"What if I said I want you for forever? Would that scare you off?"

"No." His voice was firm and held no sign of hesitancy as he spoke the one word I needed to hear in that moment.

"It's not gonna be pretty when my dad finds out about us," I said trying to address the last obstacle between us before we went any further.

"Does that bother you? Do you have to have his approval for us to be together?" he asked and stared into my eyes waiting for my reply.

"No," I said, repeating the word exactly as he had just said it to me.

"Are you sure? I don't want to come between you and him, I don't want you to have any regrets later." He kissed along my jaw and back behind my ear, stopping to nibble here and there, sending sparks down my entire body.

"Edward, the only person who has ever come between my father and me is him. He is the one who insists on demanding things be done his way and his way alone. I'm twenty three years old. I'm an adult. He can make all the threats he wants at the station, but when it comes down to it, he can't tell me who I can and cannot date and he certainly can't tell me who I can love. He has no authority over our personal lives unless it interferes in our job decisions. I think we are both far too mature to let that happen. If he tries to pull anything I am not afraid to go above him. He is my father and I love him, but I will not let him run my life. So the question is, do you need his approval to be with me?"

As our conversation went on, we had stilled our caresses and stood there in each other's arms as we talked.

Placing his finger under my chin and raising it until our eyes met, he answered, "You know I don't and you're right; he doesn't have any control over our personal lives, especially now that I won't be your instructor any longer. I'll be at the academy and you'll be out on the streets chasing the bad guys. But as my superior I do respect your father and I do on some level fear how he might try to use his rank to influence things if he chose to do so. Does it mean if he made things difficult for us I would walk away and give up what we have; no never, only you have that power. I meant it when I said I love you, and I don't say those words lightly at all. I do however, think his biggest problem is that he is afraid for you. I believe that you are going to be an amazing police officer, Bella, and I don't doubt that your father does too. But I can't help but imagine how I might feel about my daughter putting herself out there in the line of fire and dealing with some of the worst criminals and scumbags on this earth. It may seem a bit hypocritical, but I think you both need to try and see each other's point of view a little better."

I gazed up into Edward's eyes and gave him a soft smile so he would know I wasn't mad at him. He was being honest with me and telling me how he felt and I wouldn't ever hold that against him. "You might be right," I said to him. "My mother has often told me she thinks it's his fear of me getting hurt that makes him behave the way he does. But why can't he just come right out and tell me that? It might not end the rift between us, but at least I would understand where he is coming from and I wouldn't feel as if he were just abandoning me."

"I don't know, Baby. My guess is his pride has been hurt by your refusal to do as he wanted you to and his being the one in control and having his orders followed without question have clouded his vision and have him acting as your commanding officer and not your father. Maybe he simply assumes that you should automatically know why he doesn't want you on the force. What I do know is the two of you avoiding each other like the plague isn't going to solve things. Have you tried to talk to him recently?"

"No."

"Maybe it's time. Maybe now that he has seen that you are truly going through with your career choice and that you have graduated at the top of your class he will see things a little differently."

"Maybe," I said shrugging my shoulders while sniffling and fighting back the tears that were pooling in my eyes.

"Baby, I am not trying to pressure you into telling you father about us before you are ready. Take all the time you need. I only say the things I do because I love you and want to help. Also because I don't want to hide my love for you or how happy you've made me. Hell if anything I want to shout it to the whole fucking world. And for that reason I guess I'm just having a hard time understanding your hesitancy. You've told me about how you refused to let him stand in your way of becoming a police officer, so I just thought you would be just as eager to stand up to him about our relationship as well. I know we've had this discussion before, Bella, but I have to ask, you're not ashamed that I'm older than you are you?"

"Ok, I see your point and I want everyone to know I'm yours too. I promise when we get back I will try to talk to him." By now the tears were flowing freely from my eyes. I was hurting him by keeping our relationship a secret and making him think that I was ashamed of him. I laid my head on his chest the flood gates opened, unleashing another torrent of tears streaming down my face. Edward picked me up and carried me back to the bed and after pulling the covers back he placed me in the middle and laid down next to me, enclosing me protectively in his arms, holding me and comforting me until my sobs began to slow down.

"Bella, hey baby, talk to me. I'm here for you, you can tell me anything. Let me help you through what's bothering you," he said all this while brushing the tangled mess of my hair back from my face, kissing my forehead and once again telling me he loved me.

"I'm so sorry," I cried.

"What? Baby, what are you sorry for?"

"I've ruined our night. I've made you feel like I'm ashamed of you when I'm not. I could care less that you're older than me. I love you for who you are, not because of your age. It's only seven years anyways; you're hardly robbing the cradle…it's just all of this stuff with my dad."

"First of all, you haven't ruined our night or anything else for that matter. We are here together and that's what's important. Second, what stuff with your dad? Has something happened? Did he say something to you? Talk to me, tell me what's going on in that beautiful head of yours." He rolled over pulling me with him until my head was resting on his chest. Then he ran his fingers through my hair and again encouraged me to get what was bothering me out so I didn't let it continue to eat away at me.

I took a deep breath and poured my heart out to him. "All I've ever wanted was for him to support me, be proud of the decisions I've made about my life, no matter what path I choose to take. It hurt me so bad for him to just shun me the way he did and even worse when he tried to use my mom's feelings to get me to not join the academy. How could he do that to me or her? How can he claim to love us and want what's best for us and turn around and not even be willing to listen to what I want for my life? He just makes demands and that's it. His way or no way."

"Oh, Baby, I wish I could tell you why he has acted the way he has and said the thing that he has. But as much as I want to give you those answers I can't. Only your father can do that. I would imagine that he has some sort of fear of you being hurt while on duty, but even if that is the case he is going about it the wrong way in my opinion. What I do know is that you graduated at the top of your class. I believe that you are going to be a fine police officer. Will I worry about you, yes, but I have faith that you will be able handle yourself while out there doing your job."

We talked a while longer about my childhood and how close I had been with both of my parents growing up. He in turn told me about his and how he and his sister Alice were always the brunt of their older cousin Seth's practical jokes. Soon I found myself drifting to sleep in his arms.

The next morning I woke to the tantalizing sensation of Edward's warm lips trailing soft kisses up my back. He moved my hair out of the way and nuzzled his nose against the sensitive skin just behind and below my ear. It was his favorite spot to kiss on my neck and he knew it drove me wild.

"Good morning," I rasped softly through my sleep-induced fog.

"Good morning indeed, Baby," he murmured as he flicked his tongue against my ear lobe and rubbed his very prominent morning wood against my lace covered ass. The thin material may as well have not been there. I could feel every contour of him against me and could tell his boxers were long gone. His fingers were skimming back and forth over the back of my thigh and each time he repeated the pattern, his hand dipped closer to my increasing wet center. _I could get used to waking up like this every morning,_ I thought as I felt his hands pulling the lacey underwear from my body.

Thinking about how long we had waited to be together and how our talk had sidetracked us from that last night, I wanted to seize the opportunity and finally be Edward's in every way. We might have agreed to wait until I had graduated to consummate our relationship but it hadn't been easy.

I nudged my shoulder upwards, urging him to move from where he was lying partially on top of me. As he rolled off of me, I rolled over to face him. I looked up into his sparkling green eyes and saw so much love in them. I reached up to touch my face. With feather light caresses, I traced my fingers up the side of his face and over the arch of his eyebrows. Next down the other side to his jaw and then to his chin, watching my fingers the whole time as if I was memorizing every freckle, every wrinkle, every line of his beautifully sculpted face.

He closed his eyes and relaxed under my touch. I wound my arms around his neck and pulled him closer to me.

"I love you, Edward," I whispered before brushing my lips against his.

He opened his eyes and smiled subtly as he returned the sentiment, "I love you too." His lips then met mine again and all coherent thoughts quickly dissipated as the kiss became hungry and needy.

"God, Bella, you are so beautiful," he whispered as he broke the kiss and slipped the silk and lace top off of me. He began leaving a trail of slow wet kisses form my collar bone to my neck up along my jaw till he finally returned to my lips capturing them with his. At first this kiss was slower and more sensual than the last one, but quickly became needy and hungry as our tongues battled for dominance.

My heart was racing, threatening to jump right out of my chest. His kisses began to move down to the curve of my breast. His fingers toyed with my hard nipple as he licked and sucked all around it. I gasped and arched my back off the bed as he took it in his mouth. I could feel the wetness and heat increasing in my center.

He reached down and gently spread my knees apart. Lifting himself up on one arm he continued to massage one breast while he kissed his way down to the area I so wanted him to touch. I could feel his hard erection on my thigh as he shifted his position.

Climbing over my left leg he placed his hands on both my ankles and positioned my legs so that they were bent at the knee and spread on both sides of him. Leaning down to place a kiss just above my pubic bone, he looked up to me as if asking for permission. We'd touched each other before, but we had never taken things this far for fear of not being able to turn back. There was just something so much more intimate about pleasuring each other in this way and we had wanted to save some things for when we could finally make love.

Breathing heavily I was unable to make the words come out of my mouth so I nodded in approval. His hands were now on my thighs, holding them still as he placed several kisses on both sides. Inching closer and closer, his mouth teased me until he reached the spot where he had been headed. He leaned his head down and started licking me, slowly increasing the pressure as he went on. I began to squirm and claw at the sheets and the movements of his tongue became more hurried, driving me crazy for release as he slipped one and then two fingers inside me.

"Oh God, Edward," I moaned. "Feels…so…good," I began to pant and grip the sheets tighter as I felt the fire that was burning inside me increase with each stroke of his fingers. He nibbled and sucked on my clit as he curled his fingers inside me to hit that magic spot.

Removing his fingers form me, he swirled his tongue one last time across my tingling bundle of nerves and said, "I don't think I can wait any longer to make love to you."

"Then don't. Make love to me now; make me yours in every way."

As soon as the words were spoken, he crawled up my body until he was hovering above me. Lining himself up at my entrance he said, "Wrap your legs around me, Baby."

I did as he asked and stared up into his darkened emerald eyes, knowing this was what we'd waited months for and how ready I was to move on to the next phase of my life with him by my side.

He entered me in one slow thrust, filling me completely, as my three favorite words fell from his lips, "I love you."

"I love you too," I whispered back to him as our bodies began to move in unison and we met each other's thrusts. The feeling was beyond anything I had ever imagined.

"Oh, God, Bella. So…good. I've never experienced anything like this before. You feel how we fit together perfectly? You were meant for me, my love, and now your mine, all _mine_ in every way."

My breathing became erratic as Edward switched between kissing me until I was breathless and sucking and biting on my neck. His mouth moved along my neck until he reached his favorite spot. As our movements became faster and more frenzied, he latched on to that spot he loved, sucking and no doubt leaving behind a mark this time.

"I'm so close, Edward, so close." I could barely get the words out as he changed his position and grabbed one of my legs, placing it up over his shoulder hitting spots I did not even know I had.

As he went deeper and deeper he gasped for air and moaned," Come with me, Bella."

He picked up the pace of his movements, increasing the force of his thrusts each time he drove into me. All it took was a few more pumps before I was pushed over the edge. As we came together, we cried out each other's names and clung to each other as the waves of passion overtook our bodies.

While Edward caught his breath, he rolled on his side and pulled me with him. Wrapping his arms around me and holding me to him, he whispered," I love you, Bella, so much. That was so amazing."

I turned my head to face him and placed a few soft kisses on his lips. "I love you too, Edward. More than I can even comprehend."

I didn't know how long we had been laying there. I was lost in Edward as he kept on kissing me slowly and softly, pouring all his love into each and every movement of his lips against mine. I could feel the connection between us and it was real and binding and I never wanted it to end.

Sadly, I must have been mistaken a couple of years ago during my last serious relationship when I thought I was in love. It just didn't seem possible when I thought about how deep my feelings for Edward were and how I had felt about Eric. Their simply was no comparison.

After catching our breath and coming down from the love making induced high we were on, we talked for a short time about our trip to Vancouver Island.

Then we noticed the time and knew we had to get up and get going, even though we'd like nothing more than to enjoy each other's bodies again. But we would have plenty of time for that on our trip.

Edward decided to shower first while I finished packing my bag and getting all of Sam's stuff put in the living room for Edward's sister. Alice was going to come by and pick up Sam this afternoon and keep him while we were gone. She was the only person who knew of our involvement. She had teased Edward relentlessly, telling him that she had known there was someone special in his life, that his whole family had seen the tremendous changes in him. When he had introduced Alice and me to each other we had hit it off immediately and we were now quickly becoming close friends. It had been such a relief to have someone to share my feelings for Edward with. She had actually been a great confidant for us both, but had also made Edward promise that once we got back from Vancouver he would take me to meet the rest of the family or she was going to do it for him.

Edward sat up. The jostling of the bed stirred me from my thoughts. Giving me a quick kiss he said, "We need to get going, care to join me in the shower?"

Before I could answer the annoying sound of my doorbell echoed throughout the house. He looked at me as if to ask who it might be at the door. Not having any clue, I shrugged and said, "Go ahead, I'll be right there as soon as I see who it is." I got up pulling the sheet with me and wrapped it around my naked body.

"Hurry, Love," Edward remarked as he playfully smacked my ass.

"I will," I responded as I tried to retaliate, only to be tangled in the sheet and unable to move.

Edward helped me get the sheet draped around me in such a fashion that I didn't fall and once again asked me to hurry, to which I promised him I would.

The doorbell wailed again and I called out for whoever it was to hang on, I was on my way.

Nothing could have prepared me for the sight of my father standing on the other side of my front door. He stood there in an eerie silence as if he was waiting for me to say something. I didn't have any clue what he might want or why he would show up unannounced, or at all for that matter. The last time he'd been here was when he had tried to get me to drop out of the academy and by the time he'd left we'd both said things to hurt one another.

Wanting to get this surprise visit from my father over as quickly as possible I took it upon myself to end the uncomfortable silence. "Charlie, what are you doing here?" I asked reluctantly not really sure I wanted the answer.

"Isabella, last time I checked I was still your father, therefore I expect you to address me as so."

I rolled my eyes at his attempt to control the situation in his typical commanding Charlie Swan nature. "Well, Charlie," I knew I shouldn't goad him, but I was having a hard time stopping the words from blurting out. "The last time I checked a father is someone who is proud of his daughter's accomplishments. A father is someone who supports his daughter's career choices, and a father is someone who is usually honored when his child decides to follow in his footsteps."

I shifted the sheet around me as I felt it start to slip. I then folded my arms across my chest in an effort to hold it in its place. It didn't go unnoticed by me that our stances practically mirrored each other. My mother had always claimed that we were too much alike for our own good.

I was suddenly in full panic mode when I heard the water from the shower shut off. Not knowing what else to do I moved closer to Charlie and attempted to turn him and get him out the door saying, "Look _Dad,_ I'm not really sure why you are here especially this late, but it's not really, um… a good time, so can I call you tomorrow?"

Charlie had his mouth open and ready to speak when I heard Edward's bare feet smacking on the hall floor as he walked towards the living room. Apparently Charlie had heard him too because he was now craning his neck to look around me.

As Edward entered the living room he called out to me, "Hey, Baby, what happened to that promise to hurry back and shower with—" Edward stopped dead in his tracks, unable to finish the sentence when he saw my dad standing in the doorway. My dad's head was suddenly swinging back and forth between the two of us, taking notice of the fact I was in nothing but a sheet and Edward in only a towel that was threatening to fall from where it was draped precariously low around his hips.

I looked at Edward, who was frozen in place as if he were a marble statue, then back to my father. Charlie had bullets shooting out his eyes.

This was not how I wanted him to find out about Edward and me. I tried to wrap my brain around what was happening, but all I could think was, _God why is this happening to me? I just promised to tell him, why couldn't you give me just a few more days? Help me! What the hell am I supposed to do now?_

Rose's excited exclamation pulled me from the memories brought up by Edward telling our story. "Oh my god you must have been mortified!"

"That doesn't even begin to cover it," I told her, feeling a little confused and overwhelmed from all the emotions that had been stirred by remembering how hard it had been on us at first. Part of me was sad when I thought of that time in our lives, but yet I was so happy for how things were now. It was like being on an emotional roller coaster.

"So let me get this straight," Emmett jumped in. "The two of you were standing there in nothing but a towel and a sheet with Captain Swan staring you both down?"

"Oh, it was so much worse than that," Edward said. "I saw him move his hand and I thought he was gonna pull his weapon on me."

"Shit, man, you really did come close to losing your family jewels," Emmett teased.

"It wasn't pretty. The Captain was pretty pissed," Edward said.

"Yeah more like furious," I added. "We had a fight of epic proportions that morning. He accused Edward and I of having no respect for him, said Edward was taking advantage of me because of our age difference. He said I was just trying to undermine his authority and was only seeing Edward to spite him and make him look like a fool."

"Wow, that must have been incredibly hard on you both," Rose said as she reached over and rubbed my arm in a friendly manner.

"It was," I said getting chocked up just thinking about it.

Seeing how upset I was getting Edward started to talk again. "It had gotten so bad at one point that we both actually put in for a transfer to Olympia."

"So what happened to stop ya? I mean things are good now. You seem to get along great with him and your parents are watching Kellie tonight right?" Emmett asked.

"Well it had been about eight months after he found out when we put in for the transfer. I think seeing that Bella's career meant enough to her that she was really willing to pack up and move to keep it and that I was willing to go with her was one of the things that led to his turn about."

"Yeah but that wasn't the real kicker," I added.

"No? What was?" Rose asked.

"Well it began with Edward going to him and asking for his permission to propose to me even though things were still extremely strained between us. He told Edward it took a lot of courage to do that and he respected him for it."

"Dude, you put your junk out there on the line again," Emmett said with a snort.

"Will you shut up, Emmett," Rose told him with a huff.

"I did, but she was very much worth it," Edward said as he leaned over and kissed me on the cheek.

"The real turning point came after Edward proposed and I went to my dad and asked him to walk me down the aisle at our wedding. I told him I really wanted him to be there to share in the happiest day of my life but if he couldn't or wouldn't then Edward's father was willing to do it for me."

I finished telling them how my father and I had both cried that afternoon. He had finally admitted to me how he had only been worried about my safety all this time. That it had never been about him not wanting me to follow in his footsteps because he was so tremendously proud that I wanted to. He just couldn't bear the thought of something happening to me in the line of duty. I told Emmett and Rose how after that things were a bit slow and tenuous, but with time and patience we were now back to having the type of relationship we'd had when I was growing up.

"I know it must have been hard, but I am glad you guys have worked things out. It's good for Kellie too. She will get to have both sets of her grandparents in her life," Rose said.

"Yes it is. And she has all four of her grandparents wrapped around her little finger. Although my father insists that her stubborn streak reminds him of me."

Everyone laughed at the thought of my daughter being stubborn like me. We talked for a little while longer with them and then after paying our bill, the four of us walked out to the parking lot where we said our goodnights and Edward and I thanked them for celebrating our anniversary with us.

On the short drive home, Edward and I talked some more about how we had gotten to where we were today. It hadn't been easy at first, but our love had persevered and now after five years of marriage and our one year old daughter we loved more than anything in the world, we were extremely happy.

Once we were home we spent a few minutes talking with my parents and thanking them for watching Kellie for us. They assured us it was their pleasure to do it. When we heard Kellie cry through the baby monitor, Edward said his goodnights to them and excused himself to go check on her.

I walked my parents to the front door and hugged my mom and then my dad and thanked them again. When I went to pull away from my dad, he hugged my tighter and said to me, "I am so proud of you, Bells. So proud and so happy for you and the life you have built for yourself. I love you, baby girl."

There was nothing I could do to stop the tears that began to flow. "I love you too, Daddy," I whispered back to him.

After another round of hugs, my parents left and I made my way upstairs to Kellie's room to see if Edward had gotten her back to sleep. When I reached her room, it was empty and I knew that I'd find her in my and Edward's bed.

Walking into our room I saw that I was right. Edward was lying in our bed flipping through the channels on the TV with a sleeping angel on his chest.

"I see we have a guest," I said softly as I moved to his dresser drawer to pull out one of his t-shirts to sleep in.

"She wanted her mommy, so I brought her in here. I didn't think you'd mind," he said with a smile.

"She did huh?" I asked as I crawled up onto the bed next to them. Edward rolled onto his side carefully so that he could slide Kellie down on the pillow between us. She stirred a little but was quickly sound asleep again.

"She's beautiful," I whispered as I brushed her auburn colored locks out of her face. She was the perfect mix of Edward and I. She had my eyes, his hair, my nose and his lips. My heart felt like it could explode with all the love I felt for her.

"She is. Just like her mommy," Edward said as he brought his arm around me, effectively holding both Kellie and me in his arms.

"Thank you," I said to Edward as I leaned forward and gave him a soft but lingering kiss.

"Baby, you already thanked me for the gift."

"That's not what I'm talking about," I told him as I looked at the gorgeous emerald and diamond ring he had given me earlier tonight. He had said that he knew I always thought his eyes were like emeralds and it was also the stone for the month of May, which was when we had gotten married and the month that Kellie had been born in.

"Then what do you mean?"

"For everything. For you, for Kellie, for the amazing life we have. You've given me all I ever wanted. I love you."

"I love you too, Baby."

He kissed me a few times and then reached over and grabbed the remote to turn the TV off. We pulled the covers up over the three of us and fell asleep together holding everything that was most important in the world to us. Right there in our little bubble of happiness, we really did have all I ever wanted.

 

  **~*The End*~**

**Author's Note:**

> I hope you enjoyed it. Thanks again to all of you who donated in one way or another. 
> 
> Thanks for reading,  
> EA


End file.
